The present invention generally relates to equipment, systems, and methods for package delivery, and more particularly to equipment, systems, and methods that make use of a protective compartment for receiving parcel packages.
Various receptacles and containment systems have been proposed that are intended for use alone or in conjunction with conventional mailboxes, such as those regulated by U.S. federal government. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,194,900 to Helten and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0162883 to Arvonio et al. disclose containers sized to receive packages that are too large for standard mailboxes. Helten discloses a parcel delivery box that can be attached to a mailbox post as a separate unit. Arvonio et al. disclose a standalone package delivery receptacle equipped with a signaling device by which a delivery service can be notified of a pickup and the recipient can be notified of a delivery. Still other receptacles are primarily concerned with security, as in the case of a mailbox disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,132 to Bachmeier as having a trap door through which mail drops down into a lower container.
Certain conditions have evolved in the mail and package deliver industries that have given rise to a need for further improvements in package delivery systems. Commercial delivery services are used with greater frequency as the cost of fuel rises and the convenience of catalog and Internet shopping becomes more appealing. With increasing package traffic, delivery drivers encounter more difficulties when traveling their routes, including increasing number of stops, the difficulty of ascertaining addresses, the need to place packages where minimal exposure to the weather will occur, long driveways, and unfriendly dogs. Though some packages are sufficiently small to be placed in a mailbox, regulations prohibit placing anything other than stamped mail in a mailbox.